


Sorry I'm late

by ElisBD



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Depression, F/F, F/M, Love, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2018-12-09 11:10:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11667927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElisBD/pseuds/ElisBD
Summary: Elizabeth O'Brien Dragonthorn, one of Hogwarts' most exceptional students and Dumbledore's most trusted goes missing in 1975 and returns after 20 years.  Elizabeth has to deal with the death of her entire family and reintegrate into the wizarding society however her road is only to be challenged over and over again.





	1. Back from the dead

\--------------A quick disclaimer, everyone except for Elizabeth belongs to their respective authors, including Sardar Singh who belongs to my friend Jade (who has some mad skillz y'all), with slight tweaks to adapt the character to the story #RIP (literally)------------

"Finally!" murmured Elizabeth, inaudibly pulling up her leather boots and securing them tightly around her knee. Breathing in deeply, she looked around the humble wooden cabin, taking in the sight of it for one last time. The room smelled strongly of burnt coal, ground nutmeg and the faintest perfume of dried lavender. On a small table were still sprawled various powders and bottles with beautifully colored liquids inside. From above the said table hung lowly bundles of lavender, sage and basil. A shiver ran down Elizabeth's spine as the scented air reminded her of her home back in Ireland that she too rarely visited. Smiling sadly, she jumped off the chair and wrapped the handles of an old sack around her hand for security and headed towards the door.

Outside, waiting for her was Sardar Singh. A man in his mid-twenties with a sturdy physique and sugary brown skin. His exposed arms were branded in tribal, blood colored markings, hands covered in dark leather gloves. He had long charcoal hair bundled in thick dreads and four pronounced white scars across his cheek. Sardar wore a white sleeveless tunic, with long black pants tucked into knee-high brown boots. On top, he had a medium studded leather armor strong enough to protect him from the strikes of the enemy, yet light enough to give him mobility in battle. At his left side hung a steel sword, tied to his belt along with a small pouch. On the very same side, Sardar had a firm grip on the leashes for the horses they were to use for traveling.

Elizabeth smiled with all the warmth in her heart, seeing something as beautiful as it was unexpected. When the door creaked behind her, Sardar sharply turned his gaze towards Elizabeth, eyes full of desolation at the thought that he would never see her again. Those wild brown eyes locked with hers, as if pleading for her to stay. However, the moment lasted a second too long for Elizabeth's liking, making her shift from one foot to the other, feeling guilty and uncomfortable.

Elizabeth hurried to her horse, self-consciously trying to mount it as fast as possible, but was stopped by Sardar's warm hand on her arm. When she looked, her heart melted seeing the love in his eyes, his smile faded as he got closer, connecting their lips in a tender kiss. His hand travelled from her arm to the back of her neck, as if pulling her inside the depths of his heart, and she accepted him. Sardar's warm hand went further down Elizabeth's back pressing their bodies together. Caught in a moment of heat, she wrapped herself around the young man, caressing his chest and responding to his kiss with heat and passion.

"Stop," she said abruptly. Sardar looked at her, shook by her sudden action. "This will only make it worse. I barely have the heart to leave you... Sardar..." her words fell heavy on his ears. "Doing this- it – I can't..." The man looked at her, heartbroken, but leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"I understand," he sighed. "My love..."

The few words he said to her were spoken with such truth that they touched her very soul. Elizabeth smiled and, helped by Sardar, mounted the horse and waited for both of them to start galloping.

For a while the road was silent until Sardar broke the silence, not taking his eyes off the road.  
"This really is our last time together, huh?"

"Afraid so. I had fun..." she continued after a short pause. "I am grateful to the gods and back that my time here was spent in your company." Sardar laughed after a while, earning a confused look from Elizabeth.

"I remembered the first time we met."

"Oh don't remind me!"

"You reeked of horse shit."

"We've been through this, I was THROWN into that bloody thing! I'd like to see YOU fall into a pile of shite and smell like a field of daisies!"

"You still managed to get me wrapped around your finger with those sad puppy eyes and big mouth of yours."

"Oh, shut it, will you?"

"Not falling for my bad flirt, I see."

"Already made that mistake once and look what I've got: a nice man with better hair than mine and nice eyes."

"Aww, you're making me blush."

They spent the rest of the road remembering their good and bad, their firsts and every small thing they've been through. 

After about 2 hours, they stopped by a clearing next to a cold river to rest their horses and eat the bread and cheese they brought.

"When did this year pass?", asked Elizabeth nostalgically. Sardar looked at her and leaned in to whisper something in her ear, as if they risked every animal in the forest hearing them. Elizabeth widened her eyes and snorted amused.

"You pig!"

"Haha,! But I am your pig!" Sardar laughed and squeaked like a little piglet. Elizabeth snickered and looked at him, enchanted by his features: the small wrinkles around his eyes when he laughed, the ones around his mouth when he smiled, the bushy brows darkening the arch just above his eyes. She had fallen for such a wonderful man it was all too precious for her weak, aching heart.

"I love you, you know that, don't you?"

Sardar stopped laughing and brushed his fingers against Elizabeth's cheeks with a loving smile painted on his tanned face. His eyes glistened, full of adoration for the beauty in front of him.  
"You don't know how much it means to hear those words from you, my love. I wish I had more time to be with you, to show you how much you mean to me. I would love you in the morning, the noon and night. I would make you the stars to my sky and the air I need so badly to breathe." The promises Sardar barely dared to speak were sealed with a lingering kiss that demanded more and more.

The poor girl lost herself in her feelings and melted with her lover into one heated knot of love, hunger and sorrow for one last time.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After about 3 more hours, the two arrived at another clearing more beautiful than the one before, with emerald green grass, patches of clovers and pastel colored flowers from here and there. as if hidden behind a couple of rowans and oaks, a big waterfall lit from within by an intense purple glow. A small pond was at the base of the cliff. 

Dismounting, the two approached the pond cautiously, Sardar holding the leashes and Elizabeth the bag, wrapped around her hand. Untying the bag, Elizabeth pulled out a rabbit and held it above the water, and knelt. 

Grabbing a ceremonial knife, beautifully carved in obsidian, she slit the throat of the small animal chanting an) ancient rite in a language long forgotten. The poor rabbit desperately tried to fight for its last breaths, squirming for dear life. As the crimson blood painted the water, every second passing by weighted heavier on the girl's shoulder, anxiety and desperation growing bigger and bigger in her heart.

The two exchanged worried looks, asking themselves questions none knew the answer to. Elizabeth threw the rabbit into the pool of water, standing up in frustration. In the next moment, the ground started to shake, and from the rustling of the bushes behind them came a foul smell, invading their lungs, and staining them with a stench only one creature could own. An ugly creature appeared, about four meters tall, with gray skin full of sickly looking warts and a few patches of unkept dark hair. It had large, powerful arms ending in four thick fingers and a disproportionate head with only one yellow eye in the middle of the face. The giant let out a notorious roar, scaring the horses and filling the air with the stench similar to that of rotting corpses in mid-summer.

Elizabeth gagged, trying not to vomit while Sardar grimaced and reached for his sword, nudging her to do the same. With her eyes watering and stomach twisting in repugnance, Elizabeth drew her sword and took a fighting position. Sardar went first, moving swiftly to the creature's side motioning to Elizabeth to cast a levitation spell to boost him up. As asked, Elizabeth joined with her magic and also headed towards the monster, using the distraction Sardar provided.

The two were caught by surprise when in one swift move, Sardar was thrown against the rocks with a grunt and fell into the water. In the same moment, the water began swirling and glowing red.

"No!" screamed Elizabeth desperately, lounging to slice the beast's leg, owning an ear-piercing screech. The poisoned blade was useless, considering there was no time, so in one quick motion she jumped on the creature's back stabbing to make her way up. The monster shook in pain and shrieked from the bottom of its lungs. Elizabeth caught a fistful of its hair, held the head back and slit its throat with no second thought. After a moment of lingering the creature fell to the ground with a loud noise, throwing Elizabeth right into the water. 

There she saw Sardar swirling around unconscious, underwater. Desperately, Elizabeth struggled to swim through the current of water to reach Sardar, but was blinded by a bright light, leaving her numb and with no notion of time and space.

Poor Elizabeth was brought back to her senses by the powerful impact with the cold hard ground. She coughed violently, gasping for the air she needed so much and looked around. The only thing that caught her attention was Sardar's body lying limp on the ground, not breathing nor twitching. Elizabeth crawled towards him and turned him face up, calling his name weakly.

"Sardar? Wake up!" she slapped his face lightly trying to wake him up. "No! No! No! No! No! No!" yelled Elizabeth in desperation, trying to resuscitate the lad. 

"You can't die now! I won't let you, you big idiot!" Her arms went numb and she collapsed on top of him crying. "You can't...." she trailed off hiccupping.

Elizabeth's attention was caught by a faint voice calling her name from behind. She rose her head to look around, taking in the sight of a very familiar chamber full of people she did not know. When she turned her head heavily, she was greeted by the warm eyes of an old friend:

"Professor..." she almost whispered in a broken voice before falling unconscious.


	2. Mourning is not fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth receives tragic news, but the worse is yet to happen

Elizabeth woke up to the soft light coming through the windows and the strong smell of medicine and potions filling the air. The room was spacious and silent, with tall windows and beds posted on both sides. Elizabeth straightened up on the bed, whining in excruciating pain as if her entire body was made out of glass. It was difficult for her to breathe and every move felt like her muscles were pierced by thousands of sharp needles. The poor girl tried to cling onto anything at hand in an attempt to get off the bed, breathing heavily. After agonizing moments of painful jolts through her body, Elizabeth looked around for someone to talk to, only to be greeted by the hospital wing: as tidy and silent as ever. Curiously enough, she was the only one there; no other patients, no personnel, nobody.  
Staggering around the room, Elizabeth stumbled upon a Daily Prophet, laying on a stencil trolley. She picked it up with shaky hands, the date catching her attention. It spelled 29th of September 1995. Elizabeth stood in awe, staring at the date, not believing her eyes. According to the year, she has been missing for almost twenty years. Her hands started shaking violently, making her drop the paper on the cold floor. She abruptly took a step back as if trying to keep balance and rushed her fingers through her hair in attempt to keep calm.  
“This is not possible…” she whispered, eyes full of tears, looking around in a rush of panic; “It can’t!” she said louder. Elizabeth hit her head, trying to wake up from her nightmare, tears now streaming down her face. She hit herself again and again, crying and repeating the same words endlessly until a warm hand caught her arm in mid-air. Elizabeth tried to pull back, startled and delirious as she let out a hoarse ‘No’. Her head was immediately pressed against Madam Pomfrey’s chest and her body covered in a warm and secure embrace. The girl struggled for a few more moments before slightly calming down to a muffled sob.  
“Hush, child.” whispered the matron, caressing Elizabeth’s hair, resting her chin on the top of her head. She waited until Elizabeth was fully silent and backed away slightly to see her face and wipe the tears away with her thumbs.  
“How is this possible, Madam Pomfrey?” asked the girl whimpering softly.  
The woman looked at her, still holding her shoulders, feeling sorry for Elizabeth’s situation. The young woman pulled back suddenly, and grabbing the paper in a rush, shaking again, more violently than before, pointed at the date furiously.  
“HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?! IT WAS 1975 WHEN I LEFT! THIS IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE! IT MAKES NO SENSE!”  
Madame Pomfrey’s response was a sad look and a soft sigh.  
“Miss Dragonthorn, I am going to need you to calm yourself. I do not have the answers you are seeking, but I am willing to help you through this.” spoke the matron softly, reaching for the paper and placing it back on the trolley. She reached her hand for Elizabeth to grab and once she did so, she guided the girl back to her bed, resting her other hand on her back rubbing it softly to comfort and reassure her constantly.  
Madam Pomfrey sat Elizabeth on the edge of the bed, joining at her side, not letting go of her hand.  
“I will speak to Professor Dumbledore about this. I know you feel frazzled right now, but you still need rest, child. I will go make you a potion to help with your sore muscles and make you sleep, dear.”  
Madam Pomfrey tucked Elizabeth into bed, returning to her after a short while and waiting until she fell asleep. After a few hours of restless sleep Elizabeth woke up to the gentle, soft voice of Madam Pomfrey.  
“Elizabeth, dear, wake up. It’s time to take your medicine.”  
The girl sat up and took the glass, thanking the woman. Madam Pomfrey smiled and left to attend to her paperwork. She downed the glass in one gulp, grimacing at the greasy taste of the green liquid and shaking her head as if to get rid of the taste. Elizabeth closed her eyes, breathing deeply to keep herself from having a panic attack. She fumbled with the glass in her hands, starring at the burning orange light of the setting sun, rushing through the windows, trying her best to keep the tears from spilling.  
Setting the glass aside, on the nightstand, she combed her dark brown hair with her long fingers, looking around the hospital wing. Moments later, Elizabeth spotted the silhouette of Professor Dumbledore entering the room. She almost jumped out of bed but was stopped by a short hand movement, instructing her to sit still. The Professor fastened his pace and sat next to Elizabeth, greeting her with a big and loving embrace. The next moment Elizabeth cried with, joy, laughing and smiling because after a long while, she finally felt safe.  
“Where have you been, Elizabeth?”  
“You won’t believe me if I told you, Professor” she said laughing weakly.  
Dumbledore’s eyes were also filled with tears ready to spill when he pulled back, smiling as he protectively held Elizabet’s hands together in. Mustering her courage, Elizabeth told him about her mission’s failure: how the relic was protected by powerful, old magic, how she was thrown into another world. She told him about the beautiful fields of Aurolin and clear waters of Elhuvamaar, about the people and creatures that resided there but at one certain point she stopped abruptly.  
“Professor… There was this man. His name is Sardar Singh, I reckon he fell through the portal with me. Where is he?” asked Elizabeth not expecting Dumbledore’s expression to darken so suddenly.  
“There was nothing we could’ve done to save him, Elizabeth. I am sorry.”  
“It’s quite alright. I figured he was already gone.” She said softly, wiping a few tears swiftly.  
“You have been unconscious for three days, we had to bury him. I hope you can understand.”  
“Good bloke he was” laughed Elizabeth. “Never failed to make me smile. he deserves this much.”  
The air was heavy with guilt and sorrow. After moments of piercing silence, Dumbledore spoke once again:  
“It had been twenty years, Elizabeth, yet you seem not to have aged a single day. How is this possible?”  
“Tell me about it!” said Elizabeth with a scoff. “It’s been only a year for me.”  
“I have never heard of such powerful magic. Not even Merlin himself could distort time and space in such manner!”  
Elizabeth looked up at Dumbledore with a glint of determination in her eyes which immediately made him warry.  
“We will get to the bottom of this, Professor!”  
“No,no. There is no need for you to endanger yourself any further.”  
“But this is powerful magic, sir! You of all people know how important it is to keep it from curious eyes!”  
“I will not endanger you with such a dangerous mission, Miss Dragonthorn!”, yelled Dumbledore losing his temper for a moment and startling Elizabeth, who could only protest further.  
“Professor, dangerous missions are what the Dragonthorns are trained for. It is my family’s duty to research and protect the old ways!”  
“We will end this discution here, Miss Dragonthorn, and that’s final!  
Elizabeth closed her eyes, frowning.  
“Elizabeth, there is one more matter we must discuss…It is about your family…” Dumbledore paused, choosing his words carefully.  
“What about them, sir?” asked Elizabeth, eyebrows raised in wonder and lips curved into a small smile.  
“They perished a month after your disappearance, I am… trully sorry.”  
“Oh…” her smile faded in the flash of a moment. Dumbledore’s words hit her hard. Looking down she bit her lips, trying to hold back tears.  
“Ohh” she whimpered, holding her trembling hands, heart shattered into millions of pieces. Professor Dumbledore wrapped her in a secure, loving emrace listening to her sobs.  
The young Dragonthorn wished to ask what happened but she would not dare speak, fearing that words may fail to leave her lips. Elizabeth cried desperatelly in the arms of Dumbledore, mourning the loss of her family as the world crumbled around her.


End file.
